1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a protein, and its preparation and uses. More particularly, the present invention relates to a novel protein, and has a melanin formation-inhibitory activity which is derived from a human cell, and additionally, relates to the preparation and use of this novel protein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Melanin is present in the skin and plays an important role in with protecting the body from the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays. Melanin is also an important factor in medical science and cosmetology. It is known that melanin is formed or synthesized in skin tissues. Excessive amounts of melanin darkens the skin, and the nonuniform distribution of melanin causes chloasma and ephelis, both of which are skin disorders. Conventionally, tyrosinase inhibitors such as vitamin C, glutathione and cysteine have been used to decrease the level of melanin in the skin and thereby producing a lightly pigmented skin.
These tyrosinase inhibitors are, however, unfavorably stable and inadequate in their skin-whitening effect on viable cells. Although Hydroquinone and monobenzyl ether of hydroquinone (MBEH), which have been used as a tyrosinase inhibitor, are highly effective in achieving lightly pigmented skin, they destroy the inherent physiological functions of the skin and cause side effects such as alphos, pigmentary disorder and contact dermatitis. in Pigment Cell Research, Vol. 2, pp. 123-125 (1989), K. L. Kreutzfeld et al. studied the question of why ventral skin-tissues of frogs are whiter than the dorsal skin-tissues, by attempting to extract a melanin formation-inhibitory substance from the ventral skin-tissues. They reported that a protein having a molecular weight of about 300,000 was found to have melanin formation-inhibitory activity. However the protein is, of frog origin and thereby presents a limitation in its use for lightening skin color in humans.